The Church of England has acknowledged the reality of shrinking congregations and overworked priests and lifted a 400-year-old rule requiring that all churches hold services every Sunday. Canon law dating from 1603 required priests to hold morning and evening prayers and a communion service each Sunday in every church they oversaw. But after decades of declining attendance, many priests are now responsible for multiple churches, especially in rural areas. Until now, they have needed permission from a bishop not to hold Sunday services in each church. The change was approved Thursday at a meeting of the church's governing Synod. Bishop of Willesden Pete Broadbent, who proposed the change, said it 'just changes the rules to make it easier for people to do what they're already doing. It stops the bureaucracy.

Vandals suspected of being soccer hooligans from The Hague have painted graffiti including swastikas and anti-Semitic texts on buildings in Amsterdam. The graffiti was discovered Friday, ahead of Sunday's match between ADO and Ajax in The Hague. Ajax fans are banned from attending the match. ADO director Mattijs Manders says 'we as a club strongly reject these incomprehensible acts. It is disrespectful and sad.' Ajax is often portrayed as a club with historic links to Amsterdam's Jewish community. A statue in Amsterdam that commemorates a general strike in 1941 to protest the rounding up of Jews by Nazi occupiers of the city during World War II was vandalized with green and yellow paint — the colors of ADO The Hague. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

While adults may have been grumbling about the snow that blanketed most of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this week, kids, and apparently pandas weren’t all that different when it came to handling the snow. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo recorded video of its giant pandas enjoying a romp in the cold. Mei Xiang and Bei Bei rolled around, climbed and covered themselves with powder, WRC reported. >> Read more trending news Panda experts at the zoo say pandas are specifically adapted for cold weather. They have thick woolly fur that keeps them dry and warm. The Washington, D.C. area had between 2 and 4 inches of snow Wednesday. The zoo had about 3 inches, WRC reported.

The German government has rejected media reports claiming authorities sought to cover up the involvement of a second man in the deadly 2016 truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market by deporting him. German weekly Focus reported Friday that Bilal Ben Ammar was arrested days after the attack and deported to Tunisia a month later, despite having frequent contacts with the attacker. Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri killed 12 people in the market attack, which was later claimed by the Islamic State group. Amri died in a shootout with police in Italy. Germany's Interior Ministry spokeswoman, Eleonore Petermann, said deportations 'are carried out according to the rule of law and certainly not in order to cover anything up.' Petermann said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has ordered a probe into the deportation.

A computer issue caused Southwest Airlines to ground all of its flights nationwide Friday morning, KIII-TV reported. >> Read more trending news The stoppage began at 5:34 a.m. ET and ended at 6:26, the television station reported. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a computer-processing issue was the cause for the delay. 'We're truly sorry for the delays this morning. Our Network Operations Control Team is aware of the issue and are working diligently to get you on your way as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work through this,' Southwest said in a tweet. 'Just a quick note to let you know we received your inquiry, that our systems are performing normally and flights are boarding,' Southwest told KIII-TV in an email.

The gender equality initiative Time's Up says its president and CEO resigned because of sexual misconduct allegations against her son. The group on Friday issued a statement explaining why Lisa Borders stepped down from the organization that was formed last year in response to sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood. On Monday, Borders cited family issues but did not elaborate. The group says allegations were made against Borders' son in a private forum. The Los Angeles Times reports a woman claims Borders' son, Garry Bowden Jr., touched her inappropriately during a 'healing session.' His lawyer says Bowden gave the woman a healing massage that she had requested and showed The Times a text exchange in which the woman thanked him. Borders became head of Time's Up last year after being president of the WNBA.

A Great Dane that died in 1990 helped conceive a litter of puppies born on Valentine’s Day, KHOU reported. >> Read more trending news Topper was a Great Dane born in 1980. His owner, Marilyn Herdejurgen, had the dog’s semen frozen 34 years ago, the television station reported. Topper died in 1990. It was used to impregnate Herdejurgen’s latest Great Dane, 3-year-old Rubix, KHOU reported. The procedure is not new, but the long gap between the father’s death and the conception is unusual. “I’m not sure, but that’s what they’re saying that these are the oldest puppies that have been produced from the frozen semen,” Herdejurgen told the television station. “It’s strange … that it’s been so long ago, and here these puppies are from him (Topper). It’s pretty exciting. This is, like I said, I think a little miracle.”

A Moscow court on Friday extended the detention for the American arrested at the end of December for alleged spying. Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was detained in a Moscow hotel at the end of December. His arrest raised speculation that he could be swapped for one of the Russians being held in the United States. Whelan's lawyer said his client had been handed a flash-drive with classified information that he had been unaware of. The court in Moscow ruled to keep Whelan, who arrived in court under escorted by a masked man, behind bars for another three months pending the investigation. Whelan has not been formally charged yet but spying charges in Russia carry up to 20 years in prison. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy complained that Russian authorities are not letting Whelan sign and hand over a waiver that would allow consular officials to release more details about his case. The embassy said it is the first time that the Russian Investigative Committee is not allowing a U.S. national in a Russian jail to pass on a signed privacy waiver form. 'Why is this case any different? Consular access without being able to do true consular support is not real access,' U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Andrea Kalan said on Twitter.

Oral Roberts (10-19, 6-8) vs. Western Illinois (8-18, 3-10) Western Hall, Macomb, Illinois; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Oral Roberts looks to extend Western Illinois's conference losing streak to six games. Western Illinois' last Summit League win came against the South Dakota Coyotes 65-59 on Jan. 26. Oral Roberts came up short in an 85-73 game at North Dakota on Saturday. BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Western Illinois' Kobe Webster has averaged 17.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while Brandon Gilbeck has put up 9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. For the Golden Eagles, Kevin Obanor has averaged 14.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while Sam Kearns has put up 10.1 points. OUTSTANDING OBANOR: Obanor has connected on 42.9 percent of the 56 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 10 of 20 over the last five games. He's also converted 82.9 percent of his free throws this season. SLIPPING AT 68: Western Illinois is 0-18 this year when it allows 68 points or more and 8-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 68. COLD SPELL: Western Illinois has lost its last three home games, scoring an average of 72 points while giving up 77.3. DID YOU KNOW: The Western Illinois offense has recorded a turnover on only 16.2 percent of its possessions, which is the 27th-lowest rate in the country. The Oral Roberts defense has forced opposing teams to turn the ball over on just 15.4 percent of all possessions (ranked 340th among Division I teams). ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25 ___ This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

The family of a U.K. teenager who ran away to join the Islamic State group as a minor is begging the British government to help bring her newborn son to Britain. Shamima Begum's family wrote Friday to Home Secretary Sajid Javid, asking for his help in bringing her child to Britain, describing the baby boy was a 'true innocent.' Begum was only 15 when she fled east London with two other friends to travel to Syria to marry IS fighters in 2015 at a time when the group's online recruitment program lured many impressionable young people to its self-proclaimed caliphate. Begum, now 19, resurfaced at a refugee camp in Syria and has told reporters she wanted to come home. Her apparent lack of remorse has triggered criticism, and Javid has revoked her citizenship.

Travelers in China were blocked from buying plane tickets 17.5 million times last year as a penalty for failing to pay fines or other offenses. The Chinese government reported this week on penalties imposed under a controversial 'social credit' system the ruling Communist Party says will improve public behavior. The system is part of efforts by President Xi Jinping's government to use data-processing and other technology to tighten control over society. Human rights activists say 'social credit' is too rigid and might unfairly label people as untrustworthy without telling them they have lost status or how to restore it. The National Public Credit Information Center says people and companies were blacklisted for offenses ranging from failure to pay taxes to false advertising or violating drug safety rules.

Anna Wintour has paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld's generosity and sense of humor as she presented a new fashion exhibition. The American Vogue editor-in-chief said Friday in Milan that Lagerfeld, who died this week, 'would have loved' the exhibit 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, given his 'wonderful sense of humor.' The display will include a Lagerfeld creation, among 120 that he had donated to the New York museum. Wintour expressed her gratitude for Lagerfeld, whom she described as a 'great friend and an important donor,' her voice cracking as she spoke. 'Karl was the very best benefactor and collaborator, as erudite as he was generous,' Wintour said. Highlights from the third day of Milan Fashion Week: ____ CAMP AS FASHION'S ZEITGEIST The Costume Institute's new blockbuster exhibition focuses on the role of 'camp' in fashion, drawing from many pieces featured in recent runway shows including Gucci, Viktor & Rolf and Palomo Spain. Curator Andrew Bolton says camp has been used 'as an escape but also a tool for political criticism.' 'I think camp has this ... playful sort of approach to the Zeitgeist. ... It's a reaction and a reflection of the times we are living,' he said. The exhibit, sponsored by Gucci, will include pieces from creative director Alessandro Michele's fall and winter 2018-2019 collections. It runs from May 9 to Sept. 8 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 'The exhibition in some ways belongs to the DNA of what I have done in these years,' Michele said. 'Camp isn't only a word created to explain how much you can be extravagant, exaggerated. It is that thing that hides the great power of clothes and the great power of appearance.

The Irish government published legislation Friday designed to ease the damage if Britain leaves the European Union next month without a Brexit divorce deal — but said it hoped the law would never be needed. The Irish government plans to fast-track the bill through Ireland's parliament before the U.K.'s scheduled departure from the bloc on March 29. As a major trading partner of Britain, and the only EU country that shares a land border with the U.K., Ireland faces a huge economic hit if a 'no-deal' Brexit introduces tariffs, customs checks and other barriers between Britain and the EU. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney said the bill would try to 'offset the worst effects of a disorderly Brexit.' It seeks to support Irish businesses and ensure that citizens can still get health care and pension payments in the U.K. But Coveney said a no-deal Brexit would be 'lose, lose, lose — for the U.K., for the EU and for Ireland.' 'I hope we never have to use the provisions set out in this piece of legislation. I hope we never have to commence this bill,' he said. 'Simply put, as a result of a lot of hard work my only desire is see this legislation sit on the shelf.' British Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU struck a Brexit deal late last year laying out the terms of an orderly departure and establishing a long transition period so businesses can trade under existing rules while future trade relations are worked out. But Britain's Parliament rejected the deal last month and sent May back to the EU seeking changes. EU leaders insist that the legally Brexit binding withdrawal agreement, which took a year and a half to negotiate, can't be reopened. Still, the two sides are still holding talks, which the U.K. has called 'constructive.' May is due to meet European Council President Donald Tusk at an EU-Arab summit in Egypt on Sunday, although there is little prospect of a breakthrough. With Brexit just five weeks away, May is stuck between an intransigent EU and a resistant U.K. Parliament. Three lawmakers from her own Conservative Party quit the party this week over the government's handling of Brexit. May faces facing another showdown in Parliament next week with British lawmakers eager to wrest control of the Brexit process from the government and halt the slide to a chaotic 'no-deal' exit. May must tell Parliament on Tuesday whether she is ready to re-submit her Brexit deal for approval. If not, legislators will get a chance Wednesday to try to change the government's course. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

Kraft Heinz has disclosed an investigation by federal regulators and will slash the value of its Oscar Mayer and Kraft brands by $15.4 billion. Shares plunged more than 20 percent before the opening bell Friday after the company posted a stunning $12.6 billion loss for the fourth quarter. Kraft Heinz divulged the receipt of a subpoena in October from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission related to its procurement operations. Those operations handle interactions with outside suppliers. The company said that it is fully cooperating with the SEC. Kraft Heinz completed its own investigation into the matter and recorded a $25 million charge to account for higher costs and expenses that should have been accounted for previously. The Pittsburgh company said that it is making improvements to its internal controls and taking other actions to prevent similar mistakes going forward. The nearly $13 billion loss in the most recent quarter is a devastating recognition that efforts to change the trajectory of the company have not been as successful as once thought. The loss follows an $8 billion profit in the same period last year. Kraft Heinz and other food makers that dominated grocery shelfs for a good portion of the last century have been whipsawed by a seismic shift in what consumers want. Families, particularly in the U.S., have pivoted sharply away from processed foods and toward more simple and fresh ingredients. That has clashed directly with some of Kraft Heinz' most well-known brands like Jell-O and Kool-Aid and Oscar Mayer hot dogs. Details of the investigation emerged in the company's fourth-quarter earnings report late Thursday.

A very powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck southern Ecuador in the early hours of Friday close to the country's border with Peru, although no immediate reports of possible casualties or damage were available. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake happened at 10:17 GMT 115 kilometers (71 miles) southeast of the town of Palora, in the Morona Santiago province, at a depth of 132 kilometers (82 miles). The quake was felt in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, and the coastal city of Guayaquil. Peru's official geophysics institute said it registered two aftershocks of 6.06 and 6.6 magnitude in the 30 minutes that followed the first tremor. Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno said on his official Twitter account that 'preliminary reports of the quakes near Macas (the provincial capital of Morona Santiago) don't show major damage.' The quakes, he wrote, 'were felt all over the country.' A 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook a central area of the Ecuadorean coast on April 16, 2016, killed more than 700 people, destroyed hundreds of houses and caused more than $3 billion of losses.

An Alabama woman used obituary notices to target her victims in a series of burglaries, WHNT reported. >> Read more trending news Jennifer Lynn Azizian, of Madison, faces four counts of third-degree burglary and one count of first-degree of criminal mischief, AL.com reported. According to Priceville police, the burglaries occurred while the victims were attending a family member’s funeral, the website reported. “As people were laying their loved ones to rest, little did they know that someone was adding to their grief by breaking into their homes,” Priceville police said in a statement. “It was clear that the suspect had been researching obituaries for some time.” Officials at the Morgan County Jail said Azizian's total bond was set at $87,800, WHNT reported. She bonded out Thursday afternoon. Geoff Halbrooks, who has worked at the Peck Funeral Home in Morgan County for 36 years, said social media is making this type of crime easier to commit, the television station reported. 'Look on social media and look at their newspapers and just find those families. There are ways to do that now without a funeral home or anyone else giving their specific address,' Halbrooks told WHNT. 'We encourage people to maybe have someone to stay at their home when they are away. There are friends and extended family members that would be glad to stay at their home to watch over their personal things while they're handling the affairs of the funeral.”

Police are sure the driver had not been drinking before crashing into a tree on the Tulsa side of the Broken Arrow border. That's 145 East Avenue. TPD Cpl. Shawn McGeough says the man had been southbound near East 43 Street around 11:45 p.m. Thursday when he drove off of the roadway. The point of contact with the tree was on the passenger side of the car, but the driver was alone. “He was transported to Saint John’s by EMSA with very minor non life-threatening injuries,” Cpl. McGeough said. But why did he wreck? “It is being worked.” FYI: If the crash had happened northbound on 145 East Avenue, BAPD would have investigated.

A 22-year-old Swede was sentenced Friday to four and a half years in prison after he was convicted of stealing 17th-century Swedish royal treasures estimated to be worth 65 million kronor ($7 million) from a cathedral last year. The Eskiltuna District Court said Johan Nicklas Backstrom stole two crowns and an orb used at the funerals of King Karl IX and Queen Kristina. The jewels, dating from 1611, had been on display in Strangnas Cathedral, west of Stockholm. On the closing day of his trial last week, Backstrom confessed to stealing the items on July 31. His confession came after prosecutors said his DNA was found on the jewels, which were discovered Feb. 5 in a garbage bin north of Stockholm. Backstrom said he cut himself when smashing the alarmed glass case during the theft. The court noted that the king's crown was damaged, and some of the ornamental stones had fallen off. Christofer Lundgren, the cathedral dean, said 'the regalia need to be repaired as much as possible so a lot of work remains,' according to Swedish broadcaster SVT. The heist made international headlines because two thieves were seen dashing away from the 13th-century red-brick church on stolen bicycles and then fled by motorboat via the vast system of lakes west of Stockholm. The treasures were used as funeral regalia, which were placed inside or on top of a coffin to symbolize a deceased royal's identity and social ranking. While some funeral regalia are kept in the cathedrals of Strangnas, Uppsala and Vasteras, Sweden's crown jewels are in vaults under the Royal Castle in Stockholm. During the trial, Backstrom declined to say if he had accomplices. Two other men, aged 24 and 26, have been detained in the case. One is suspected of being involved in dumping the regalia in the garbage bin. After the verdict, Backstrom's lawyer Johan Eriksson told SVT his client was relieved that he wasn't given a six-year prison sentence as requested by the prosecution.

Alligators on Florida golf courses are not unusual, but reptiles helping players avoid a penalty stroke is rare. >> Read more trending news According to a couple playing in a tournament Saturday at Bonita National Golf Club, a gator “jumped up and caught” an errant tee shot, the Naples Daily News reported. Joanne Sadowsky sliced her tee shot on the second hole during the couples tournament, and the ball headed toward one of the 17 lakes on the course, the newspaper reported. “I shanked the ball to the right, and it was heading to the water,” Sadowsky told the Daily News. “It was close to the gator’s head. He saw it, jumped up and caught it.” Sadowsky’s light pink golf ball was “caught” by the alligator, meaning she was entitled to a free drop. “It saved me from a hazard penalty,” Sadowsky, told the Daily News.“We’ve seen them with a fish or a turtle in their mouths, but never a golf ball.”The lucky break did not help Sadowsky and her husband, Len, as they finished out of the money in the tournament, the newspaper reported.

A Great Dane that died in 1990 helped conceive a litter of puppies born on Valentine’s Day, KHOU reported. >> Read more trending news Topper was a Great Dane born in 1980. His owner, Marilyn Herdejurgen, had the dog’s semen frozen 34 years ago, the television station reported. Topper died in 1990. It was used to impregnate Herdejurgen’s latest Great Dane, 3-year-old Rubix, KHOU reported. The procedure is not new, but the long gap between the father’s death and the conception is unusual. “I’m not sure, but that’s what they’re saying that these are the oldest puppies that have been produced from the frozen semen,” Herdejurgen told the television station. “It’s strange … that it’s been so long ago, and here these puppies are from him (Topper). It’s pretty exciting. This is, like I said, I think a little miracle.”

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced at a news conference in Tulsa on Thursday that he has charged 18 members and associates of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood. “The Universal Aryan Brotherhood operated a lucrative criminal organization from within Oklahoma’s prison walls using contraband cell phones,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. The indictment alleges that the UAB gang members trafficked meth and killed rivals. “The tools of their trade were hate, fear, affliction, and violence. Prosecutors say nine people were murdered as part of the UAB’s racketeering operations Four suspects were apprehended Monday and Tuesday in Tulsa, while seven others have been transferred from Oklahoma Department of Corrections at McAlester. The remainder have been arrested or are in the custody of Department of Corrections or Bureau of Prisons facilities.

Police in Chicago arrested “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett early Thursday on suspicion of lying to authorities when he reported last month that he had been assaulted early on Jan. 29 by a pair of men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him. At a news conference Thursday, police said Smollett sent himself a threatening letter and later paid two brothers to attack him in an effort to further his career. “This stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary,” Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. President Donald Trump responded on Twitter Thursday morning to reports that police had arrested Smollett on suspicion of filing a false police report. “What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?” the president wrote. Smollett told police he was attacked early on Jan. 29 by a pair of white men who yelled that he was in “MAGA country” -- an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make American Great Again” -- and that they hit him in the face, poured an “unknown substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck, The Associated Press reported. Police arrested Smollett early Thursday on a charge of disorderly conduct after officers said they uncovered evidence he orchestrated the attack to boost his career. Police said Thursday that a pair of brothers who were arrested and later released in connection to the Jan. 29 incident confessed to authorities that they had been paid by Smollett to fake an attack on him. “They punched him a little bit, but as far as we can tell, the scratches and bruises that he had on his face were self-inflicted,” police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference. According to officials, Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 to stage the attack, with another $500 promised later. Johnson said officers had by Thursday obtained a copy of the check Smollett paid to the men. “One of the brothers worked on ‘Empire,’ so they had a relationship, an association,” Johnson said. “He probably knew that he needed somebody with bulk. ... (The brothers) did it because of the financial aspect of it.” Police said the brothers confessed to their roles in the attack in the 47th hour of their 48-hour holds after police arrested them last week. On Thursday, officers called them “victims,” and not offenders in the attack. Johnson said the brothers are cooperating witnesses and that, “Mr. Smollett is the one who orchestrated this crime.” “I think the fact that this was staged and that Jussie hired these two guys to stage this ... put them in a really tough party as well, to the point where now they were arrested for a hate crime,” Detective Commander Edward Wodnicki said Thursday. “Only because of just the incredible work by the entire team did we get to the point where we were able to get the truth from them.” Police said Thursday that Smollett sent himself a threatening, homophobic letter in the days before he reported he was attacked by a pair of assailants in downtown Chicago. “This stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary,” Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. “Empire actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism” to boost his career, Johnson said. “We do not, nor will we ever tolerate hate in this city.” Police are expected to provide more information in the case at a news conference scheduled for 9 a.m. local time (10 a.m. EST) Thursday. Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police on a charge of felony disorderly conduct in falsifying a police report, The Associated Press is reporting. Smollett’s Chicago attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, released a statement following the indictment: “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.” The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Jussie Smollett has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report on Jan.29. The charge is a Class 4 felony that carries a possible prison sentence of 1-3 years, but he could also receive probation. The bond hearing has been set for 1:30pm Thursday according to WLS-TV. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that detectives will make contact with his attorneys and negotiate a surrender for his arrest. “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is now considered a suspect and detectives are presenting case to grand jury according to the Chief Communications Officer for Chicago Police Department. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted the news on Wednesday after Smollett’s attorneys met with prosecutors and detectives. A police official said lawyers for Jussie Smollett are meeting with prosecutors and police investigators about the reported attack on the “Empire” actor. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press the meeting was taking place Wednesday afternoon. He declined to confirm reports that subpoenas had been issued for Smollett’s phone and bank records. Officials with 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment on Wednesday denied reports Smollett was being written out of “Empire” in a statement released to WBBM-TV. “Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show,” the statement said. The comment followed reports that Smollett's role on the show was being slashed amid investigations into the actor's report that he was attacked in Chicago last month. Authorities continue to investigate. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself Monday from the investigation into the reported attack against Smollett, according to WMAQ-TV. In a statement emailed to the station, a spokesperson for Foxx’s office said First Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Magats would instead serve as acting state’s attorney in the case. “Out of an abundance of caution, the decision to recuse herself was made to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case,” the statement said, according to WMAQ-TV. No further information was provided on the reason behind for the recusal. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Tuesday that authorities determined a tip they were investigating about a possible sighting of Smollett and the brothers who were previously suspected in the attack were unfounded. “It was not supported by video evidence obtained by detectives,” Guglielmi said. ﻿Original report: Authorities are investigating a tip that Smollett was seen in an elevator in his apartment building with two men who have since been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack in downtown Chicago, and were subsequently released without charges, police told The Associated Press. The men, who were identified by attorney Gloria Schmidt as brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, were released without charges Friday after police said new evidence surfaced in the case, according to CNN and police. >> 'I will only stand for love': 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett performs in California after attack Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press a person who lives in the building or who was visiting someone there reported seeing the Osundairo brothers with Smollett on the night he was attacked. Guglielmi told the AP that as of Tuesday, officers had yet to confirm the account. Smollett told officers he was attacked around 2 a.m. Jan. 29, as he was walking downtown near the Chicago River. He said two men yelled that he was in “MAGA country” -- an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make American Great Again” -- and that they hit him in the face, poured an “unknown substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck, The Associated Press reported. >> Jussie Smollett's attorneys say he will not meet with investigators, despite reports Guglielmi told the AP that Smollett still had a rope around his neck when officers first made contact with him after the alleged attack. Last week, police announced that the 'investigation had shifted' following interviews with the brothers and their release from custody without charges. Police have requested another interview with Smollett. They have declined to comment on reports that the attack was a hoax, a claim Smollett’s attorneys have denied. 'Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying,' Smollett’s attorneys said in a statement late Saturday. Authorities continue to investigate. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A soldier from Mississippi had a heartwarming and memorable homecoming Wednesday. Sgt. Joshua Stokes, of the Mississippi National Guard, surprised his 8-year-old daughter in her classroom after a yearlong tour overseas. Shelby Stokes had no idea what was coming. As far as she knew, her dad had five more weeks of deployment in Kuwait. The separation was tough for the whole family, but WHBQ-TV was there as Stokes gave his daughter the surprise of a lifetime at DeSoto Central Primary School in Mississippi. Classmates, teachers and reporters looked on as Stokes approached Shelby from behind and tapped her on the shoulder. She thought she was getting in trouble, but then she quickly realized her father had come home. “I thought it was a teacher. But it wasn’t. It was Daddy,” Shelby said. Shelby jumped into her father’s arms, and the two embraced. “I’m just happy to see my girl,” Stokes said. The soldier and his family are heading for some long-overdue time at home.

Tulsa County deputies were serving a warrant near Apache and M.L.K Jr. Blvd. when the suspect took off Wednesday morning. Investigators say the suspect, John McIntosh, was at work when he assaulted a deputy and drove to his home near Hamilton Elementary School. McIntosh then took off again and climbed the roof of the school near Virgin and Sheridan. Hamilton Elementary and Tulsa MET Junior & Senior High School were put on lockdown. Deputies were eventually able to get McIntosh off the roof and place him under arrest.

Washington Insider

Federal prosecutors in California unveiled criminal charges on Thursday against an IRS investigator for leaking suspicious financial reports associated with President Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly giving banking information on Cohen to lawyer Michael Avenatti, who was then locked in a legal fight with the President over hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. An investigative analyst for the IRS Criminal Investigative Division in San Francisco, John Fry is alleged to have searched files for 'Suspicious Activity Reports' about Cohen, giving the information to Avenatti, who then tweeted out the material on May 8, 2018. The criminal complaint charges that the information Fry released was later published by the Washington Post on May 8, and then by the New Yorker on May 16. It was not immediately clear how Fry and Avenatti knew each other. The information which was released centered on a series of banking transactions involving Cohen - which had been flagged by federal officials - totaling over $6 million, and included questions about possible 'fraudulent and illegal financial transactions' by Cohen in 'Singapore, Hungary, Malaysia, Canada, Taiwan, Kenya, and Israel.' The feds allege that Avenatti then funneled the information to the Washington Post; a few days later, Fry and 'Reporter-1' - Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker - exchanged a series of WhatsApp messages about the same banking information. In the days that followed, Avenatti tried to create more media interest in the story by tweeting about the information. 'Why is no media outlet doing a story on the refusal of the Treasury Department to release to the public the 3 Suspicious Activity Reports that were filed concerning Essential Consultants, LLC's bank account?' Avenatti tweeted on May 9, 2018. After the release of the Fry charges on Thursday, Avenatti denied wrongdoing. 'Neither I nor R. Farrow (Reporter-1) did anything wrong or illegal with the financial info relating to Cohen’s crimes,' Avenatti said on Twitter in a post on Thursday evening, as he claimed that Fry had not violated the Bank Secrecy Act by disclosing the SAR information. Prosecutors said if Fry was convicted, he could face a maximum of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. This is the second time charges have been brought in the past year over leaks of bank transaction information about people with links to President Trump. In October of 2018, charges were filed against an official in the Treasury Department for illegally leaking financial information about bank transactions by certain people involved in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Those disclosures by Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior official in the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, pertained to 'suspicious transactions' related to Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, Russian diplomatic accounts, and other matters. 'At the time of EDWARDS’s arrest, she was in possession of a flash drive appearing to be the flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed SARs, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to Reporter-1,' the Justice Department said at the time. That 'Reporter-1' was also Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker.

After arguing for months that allegations of election fraud had nothing to do with his disputed victory in a race for Congress in North Carolina, Republican Mark Harris on Thursday called for a new election, a day after his son had testified that he had warned his father not to employ a local political operative because of concerns about possible illegal voting activities. An hour later, the North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously to do exactly that, ordering a new election for the Ninth Congressional District. The developments came on the fourth day of a hearing before the board - Harris testified in the morning, but instead of resuming that testimony in the afternoon, he told board members a new election was needed in North Carolina's Ninth Congressional District. 'I believe a new election should be called,' Harris said. 'It has become clear to me that the public's confidence in the Ninth District seat general election has been undermined.' Harris refused to answer questions from reporters as he left the hearing room. The call for a new election came after board members said the Harris campaign had withheld documents from investigators, and in the wake of damning testimony from Harris' own son - a federal prosecutor - who said Wednesday that he had specifically warned his father not to employ Leslie McCrae Dowless to run an absentee ballot operation for his election. 'We support our candidates decision in this matter,' said Dallas Woodhouse, the head of the North Carolina Republican Party. It was an about face for Woodhouse, who had sternly defended Harris for months, as Republicans said Harris should have been declared the winner, and sent to Congress. 'We are dealing with a limited number of ballots that are nowhere close to bringing the election result into question,' Woodhouse said just two days ago. 'Perhaps we should let @MarkHarrisNC9‘s team present their side of the case first,' Woodhouse tweeted just an hour before Harris called for a new election. It wasn't immediately clear if Harris would try to run in any new election. Harris won by 905 votes over Democrat Dan McCready, but in the days after the election, questions were raised about odd absentee ballot results in Bladen County, North Carolina, which favored Harris in a variety of abnormal ways. Evidence surfaced of a questionable absentee ballot operation run by Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was employed by a political firm allied with Harris. Dowless refused to testify at the state elections board hearing.

Recovering from recent shoulder surgery, and with plans to testify before at least three Congressional committees, Michael Cohen was granted an extra sixty days by a federal judge to report to prison to serve his three year sentence for campaign finance violations and lying to Congress in a case that has drawn the personal ire of President Donald Trump. 'Given Mr. Cohen's recent surgery and his health and recovery needs, at this time Defendant requests an extension of his reporting date for sixty (60) days,' lawyers for Cohen wrote in a request to Judge William H. Pauley, III, who approved it on Wednesday morning. 'Mr. Cohen also anticipates being called to testify before three (3) Congressional committees at the end of the month,' the letter continued - no dates have yet been set for that testimony, which is expected to occur before the House and Senate intelligence committees, along with the House Oversight Committee. On Wednesday night, Democrats set the first public hearing for Cohen next Wednesday, before the House Oversight Committee. Cohen plead guilty last year to charges in two different criminal matters - first, lying to Congress about the extent of contacts during 2016 between the Trump Organization and developers in Russia looking to build a Trump Tower Moscow, and second, over campaign finance violations surrounding hush money payments made to two women before the elections, to keep them quiet about their affairs with Mr. Trump. Cohen told a federal judge that he paid money to two women at the direction of a specific candidate for federal office, and coordinated “with one or more members of the campaign.” That person was referred to only as 'Individual-1,' which from the court documents was obviously President Trump. With testimony still ahead in Congress by Cohen - GOP lawmakers who have steadfastly defended the President in the Russia investigation - have already started to attack Cohen. “When Cohen appears before our Committee, we can only assume that he will continue his pattern of deceit and perjury,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), in a letter to the chairman of the House Oversight Committee. A day after his Oversight testimony, Cohen will appear before the House Intelligence Committee for a closed door session. President Trump has alternately denied wrongdoing in his work with Cohen, and attacked his former lawyer as a ‘rat.’ “I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law,” the President tweeted last year.

In a historic first from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Justices ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the Eighth Amendment ban on excessive fines does apply to state and local governments, ruling in favor of an Indiana man who had his expensive car seized by police after he was arrested for a small amount illegal drugs. Writing for the High Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said 'the protection against excessive fines guards against abuses of government’s punitive or criminal law-enforcement authority' found in the Eighth Amendment. Originally, the Bill of Rights was intended only to be applied to the federal government - but over time, the courts have ruled that it also applies to the states, and this was the first time the U.S. Supreme Court took that step when it comes to the issue of police and civil seizures. “For good reason, the protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history,' Ginsburg wrote. 'Exorbitant tolls undermine other constitutional liberties.' At issue was a Land Rover SUV that Tyson Timbs had purchased before his arrest, with money from an insurance policy after the death of his father. Under Indiana guidelines, the maximum monetary fine which could be levied against Timbs for his crime of dealing in a controlled substance was $10,000 - but the car was worth more than four times that amount. Reaction was swift in favor of the ruling, as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund labeled it, “A huge victory for criminal justice reform.”

In a historic first from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Justices ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the Eighth Amendment ban on excessive fines does apply to state and local governments, ruling in favor of an Indiana man who had his expensive car seized by police after he was arrested for a small amount illegal drugs. Writing for the High Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said 'the protection against excessive fines guards against abuses of government’s punitive or criminal law-enforcement authority' found in the Eighth Amendment. Originally, the Bill of Rights was intended only to be applied to the federal government - but over time, the courts have ruled that it also applies to the states, and this was the first time the U.S. Supreme Court took that step when it comes to the issue of police and civil seizures. “For good reason, the protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history,' Ginsburg wrote. 'Exorbitant tolls undermine other constitutional liberties.' At issue was a Land Rover SUV that Tyson Timbs had purchased before his arrest, with money from an insurance policy after the death of his father. Under Indiana guidelines, the maximum monetary fine which could be levied against Timbs for his crime of dealing in a controlled substance was $10,000 - but the car was worth more than four times that amount. Reaction was swift in favor of the ruling, as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund labeled it, “A huge victory for criminal justice reform.”